Whenever Apple, Microsoft or Samsung is in news, we like to keep our readers in loop. This article focuses on the defensive mode these tech giants adopt via advertisements that wind up with comparisons. But guess who ends up looking better?
Apple’s initial ad, ‘Get a Mac’ campaign clearly pointed out why Windows was off the beam and why users should buy a Mac. However, the Cupertino Calif.-based firm stopped these popular ads soon after. Later on, all Apple ads for the iPod, iPhone or iPad, highlighted their own device and its features with no comparisons with rivals. Apple’s iPhone ad shows the smartphone’s FaceTime feature, where a son shows his father his granddaughter for the first time. These simple and short ads were effective and easy to understand. Also the advertisement for iPad came out with a clear focus, which was on iPad specific apps in the App Store.
However, considering Apple’s rivals and their ads, the need to stay ahead is so strong that the focus loses its way from their own devices, which in turn makes Apple look good. The recent comparison ads by Microsoft, Amazon, and Samsung with Apple have only made the latter look better as consumers consider all the differences.
Let’s look at the latest ads by Microsoft. The focus in these ads is on Windows 8 and Windows RT against the iPad. There’s no sight of Surface Pro and Surface RT. But there’s an Asus VivoTab Windows 8 tablet vs. an iPad in one commercial and a VivoTab Windows RT tablet vs. an iPad in another. Microsoft shows how Windows 8 and Windows RT are different from the iPad. Along with confusing users with two different Asus tablets, which look the same, the ads have only given the iPad some free publicity.
Moving on to the ad by Amazon, Apple got the advantage here too. The ad that shows Kindle Fire HD on the same screen with an iPad, focuses on the great price difference between the two. Alas, this also in turn gave the iPad free publicity, which made us as consumers question the big price difference. What these firms don’t understand is that they need to focus on their own product instead of pointing out what others got.
Samsung also claims that its smartphone is superior to the iPhone. The ad shows a lot of Apple fans, waiting in line to bag the next Apple product. Again, this puts the highlight on how so many people lineup and wait for the launch of Apple products. The ad shows off the features of Samsung smartphones while focusing on old and not-so-cool people trying to do the same thing on an iPhone.
Clearly, all these commercials do leave consumers with an impression about Apple’s products. Whereas, looking at Apple ads, the focus is only on their own products, with no mention of Microsoft, Amazon, or Samsung. These companies should take out clear and focused ads with their own devices as consumers do not need to see what others have in hand to offer. They clearly end up making Apple look better.